April 2005

Nonindustrial private forest owners in Vermont, New Hampshire, and western were surveyed to determine their attitudes toward an ecosystem-based approach to management. In all cases, respondents showed favorable attitudes toward: unique, small-scale ecological features like rare species and wetlands; management at spatial scales larger than the individual parcel; and ownership beyond a single generation.

Tuesday, April 26th at 6:30 PM: On Tuesday, April 26th, Harvard Forest will host a screening of "The Greatest Good", a documentary of the U.S. Forest Service on its 100-year anniversary, in the Fisher Museum. The film's producers will be available at a reception with light refreshments at 6:30 pm. The film will begin at 7:00 PM.

Brian Donahue, Environmental Historian at Harvard Forest and Professor at Brandeis University, was just awarded the George Perkins Marsh Award from the American Society of Environmental History for the Best Book in Environmental History. Previous winners include Bill Cronon, John Opie, and Art McEvoy. Brian's book is The Great Meadow: Farmers and the Land in Colonial Concord.

At the beginning of March, two-dozen scientists from the Andrews Forest, Coweeta, Harvard Forest, Hubbard Brook, and Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research sites, and the Institute for Ecosystem Studies met at Harvard Forest to explore opportunities for collaborative research. Sponsored by the LTER Network Office, the "Workshop on the Impact of Removal of Foundational Species by Pests and Pathogens on Structure and Dynamics of Forested Ecosystems" examined case studies of pest- and pathogen-induced changes in the composition of forests across North America.